So That's How You Want To Play?
by wishican97
Summary: Ferris is a Slytherin. Cunning, handsome, smart. And hopelessly in love with Abigail, a Hufflepuff. It doesn't help that Cedric Diggory, Abigail's much loved quidditch captain, has taken notice of the pretty Keeper. Add in a wacky little Slytherin first year, a brooding Ravenclaw seventh year, and sixth year Abigail's fighting spirit, and things are almost promised to go wrong.
1. First Impressions Are Redoable, Right?

**So I'm rewriting this story. Oops. Thanks for reading! Um, maybe comment? Alright, well, um, onto the story?**

I watched her curiously as she wandered through the halls. I hadn't ever seen her before. Which was odd, because I walked that part of Hogwarts almost every day. She stopped some days and spoke with someone, it took me a while to figure out she was speaking with a timid house elf. I couldn't ever go up and talk to her, I couldn't bear to interrupt her rapt conversation with the shaking creature. But I watched.

She was more timid back then, in her second year. She stuck close to her housemates, and even closer to Cedric Diggory. The two had been inseparable since the first school term of the year prior.

She never saw me, though. Probably for the better. It would have come across a little creepy, I'm sure, if she had looked up and found me sitting there behind a pillar, or on a staircase not too far from her.

Abigail Hedridge remained a mystery to me for quite a few years. Her being a Hufflepuff and myself being a Slytherin, I would have been mocked for ages.

I was sure, during my forth year, and her third, that if I just found a way to talk to her, I would either get over it, or she would fall madly in love with me. So I stole her cat, Smithers.

I had had enough experience with cats, having one of my own, to lure it out of wherever it had gotten to. So I snatched it. I hid outside the kitchens, a place cats were often being booted out of, and waited, bowl of cream in hand. It only took an hour or so. I managed to catch the tabby cat and shove him in a bag. I then hid in the Great Hall, and waited some more. She stormed in not ten minutes later than I had arrived.

"Give him back!" She screamed, her hair, which was long then, flew out around her heart shaped face.

I smirked at her, which was a bad idea. She flew at me, wand out. The only reason she didn't get a chance to attack was because Cedric, her _wonderful_ knight in shinning armor, came running and pulled her back.

Emmet, my closest friend since we were four, who had known about my plan, sauntered into the Hall, biting into an apple and grinning at me. I had had detention for a week.

I would have been fine to keep pining pathetically over Abigail for the next year or so, if it weren't for Emmet.

"Really, Farris," He muttered to me over a bowl of his favorite breakfast, too-dry oatmeal with raisins. He shoveled another heaping spoonful into his mouth before continuing. "You should just talk to her. She's in my potions class, you nitwit, I could introduce you to her. She's actually quite nice."

My mouth went dry. "No. I'll speak with her in my own time. And don't call me a nitwit, you idiot."

He grinned a lazy grin at me before meandering off to his table. I shrug off his odd behavior. Honestly, I don't know who was more shocked when he was sorted into Ravenclaw, myself or him.

There was a painful jab in my shoulder, and I spun around to face my housemates immediately.

Hannah Mernel, a first year, looked at me pointedly. "He's right." she whispered, her tiny hand gripping her fork tighter than before.

"Oh, about what?" I asked, my voice raising an octave higher, teasing her. It worked, and she giggled.

"You like-" She glanced around conspiratorial, checking for unwanted ears. I assumed she found no threats, because she leaned across the table and said, "A Hufflepuff."

"And how would you know that?" I grinned at her, showing my crooked teeth.

"Any girl with eyes can see it. Emmet was right, you are a nitwit." She shook her small head from side to side, bleach-blond curls bouncing.

"Don't you need to get to class or something, you obnoxious child?" I asked as I forced more food into my mouth. Her smile reappeared, and she leaned over the table once more, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek before joining her friends, Madeline and Heather, on their way to Herbology.

I pushed my plate away from me, disregarding the un-eaten food. I stood and left the Dining Hall, pushing through the flood of kids in the doorway.

I made my way to my classes throughout the day, barely looking up unless I heard someone say my name. I breathed a sigh of relief when Emmet stepped next to me on my way towards the Quidditch field.

"Are you watching?" I asked.

"Yeah, I asked someone to watch with me, that alright?" His eyes slid to my face, and I flinched.

"God, why?" I whined. Under normal circumstances, pretty girls seeing me in my quidditch uniform, doing what I do best, watching me boss around a group of muddied boys, would get me through the day. But then all I wanted to do was hide.

"'Cause you're a pansy, that's why. You weren't going to ask her to watch. And don't worry, I told her I was working on a paper about the hormone changes quidditch causes in you males and needed a female companion to track the difference." He grinned proudly.

"For a Ravenclaw, you're not very intelligent." I said, walking into the locker room. Emmet grumbled but didn't argue.

"I'm going to the bleachers, Abigail said she'd wait for me there. Even volunteered to sit with me in the Ravenclaw section. Such a sweetheart, honestly." A flamboyant grin crossed his face as he spun on his heel and left.

By the time I was changed and ready for practice, Emmet was seated comfortably close to Abigail, one of his long arms wrapped around her shoulders. She looked content, and I knew Emmet was trying to piss me off. It worked.

_I grabbed a broom and launched myself into the air. My team quickly followed._

"Alright!" I bellowed. Every eye on the field turned to me. "We have a game against Hufflepuff at the end of this week!" I was suddenly acutely aware of the girl behind me in the bleachers, but I couldn't sound soft in front of my team. "We could use the easy win before we play Griffindor, but I expect you to play like you mean it! And that means no babies in practice! If I hear a single, "but, Numble!", or "it hurts!" I will make you play _with_ the Hufflepuffs!"

There was a chuckle form the group of boys in front of me.

"What are you waiting for?! Play!" My voice echoed around the almost empty stadium. I could hear Emmet a little, his deep voice bounced around the almost empty stadium.

"_I'm sure he didn't mean it." _

_"Yes, he did, but I don't mind. Gives me more drive to fight harder in practice. More reason to give it my all on game day." Abigail replied, her voice sharp._

I forgot that Abigail was the Hufflepuff beater. Crap. How was I supposed to play against her? How in hell could I stay focused with her yelling out to her teammates and-

My thought were cut short by Emmet, who's voice echoed out to me.

"Move, you idiot! You're a Beater!" Why he felt the need to remind me of the position I played on my own team I'd never understand. Or at least, I thought I wouldn't. My answer can a second later, when a bludger hit me in the stomach. I slipped from my broom, I didn't even bother to brace for impact.

I landed hard on my back, but I guess I should be grateful. I could have landed on my neck. So much for good first impressions.


	2. Is It Really So Hard?

**So I'm coming to realize that the chapter names and the name of the story sound a little perverted. Until I can come up with something better, though, you'll have to do with the accidental slips.**

**Again, I'm sorry for my awful quidditch writing. I just... I'm so sorry.**

**Thanks for reading! :) Comment, maybe?**

As I laid there on the quidditch field, my back erupting in an atrocious pain, the stupidest thought occurred to me. _Maybe Abigail is worried_. I'm going to blame my pain-filled stupor for that.

I didn't have to wait long for an answer to my question. Opening my eyes, I saw a familiar head of honey-blond hair, hidden neatly underneath the hood of her robes, keeping the cold off of her bare neck. She looked down at me questioningly.

"Um, Ferris?" She knelt beside me, her icy finders pressing to the back of my neck as she helped me sit up. "Are you okay?"

_Speak, damn it._ I thought as I stared at her. She looked so confused, her ruby lips pursed and fingers grabbing my hand. I pulled a leg up to my chest and hooked an arm over it as I stretched the other out in front of myself. My other hand snapped away from her comforting hand and into my dark brown hair, pressing to my temple. I shut my blue-grey eyes and turned away.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." I dismissed her coolly, regretting the words the second I said them. She recoiled away from me, accepting Emmet's hand when he offered it to help her up. She straitens her robes and glowers down at me.

"I'll see you later on this week then, I guess." She began to walk away, but stopped before she was out of ear shot. "You know, it'll be such fun beating you in the quidditch match, Ferris. Don't forget to _actually play_, alright?" Her voice dripping with venom in a way I thought wasn't possible for Hufflepuffs.

Emmet noticed my face, scrunched and pained.

"You idiot. You've pissed off a Hufflepuff. My aunt Rosa, you've met her," I nodded. "She's a Hufflepuff."

I froze. There was no extra explanation needed over his aunt. Scariest damn woman I've ever met.

Looking up at Emmet, I doubted my safety in this weeks match.

"I'm screwed, aren't I?"

"Little bit, yeah."

Emmet reached down, his tall and lanky six-foot four inch frame bent at the waist as he pulled me up by the back of my shirt. I absolutely hate it when anyone pulls me around, and my temper flared. Already embarrassed by my behaviour, I couldn't seem to hold back the vile sounds slipping past my lips.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I shouted, ripping away from him as I stumble back a step.

"Helping you up!" He answered with equal fervor. He didn't miss a beat when I suddenly became angry at him, never had before, hasn't since. Our tempers are both shorter than anything, and we have tongues to match.

"No, Emmet, you were being a dimwit! I can't believe you would ever be so stupid and incompetent! You know not to treat me like a child!" I snapped. His body straitened after the words left my mouth, and his face went cold.

"You prideful, ignorant, pompous, pining cow! I helped you after _you_ made a mistake and fell on your arse! To top it all off, you fell because you were so caught up in pitying yourself that you _forgot how to play quidditch_!" He screams. I'm well adapted to seeing Emmet like this, but when a tall and angry man-child is glaring down at you, even if it's only by three inches, you can't help but feel very, very small.

"I'm sorry," I said. I knew I sound like a pitiful old woman apologizing to her slightly drunken husband, but that was always how we were. Emmet was the only person I would ever lose a fight to.

His cheeks flushed and he shoved me slightly. We had slowly stepped closer as we screamed.

"Me too." He said. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "This is for you, by the way. The angry badger left it for you."

I took it gingerly from his outstretched hand, half expecting it to explode as I slowly opened it. When I peeled back the folds of paper fully, I found a small note written there, and a quill laid in the bottom of the envelope.

_Dear Ferris, _the chicken scratch writing said.

_I noted that you were having a bit of a struggle in Defence Against Dark Arts this morning, and I quickly put this together for you, with a little help from Emmet's sister, Clara. It will write my notes that I took out for you when given the proper command, which I attached to the quill itself. I hope you find this as useful as I did when a friend of mine passed this quill on to me. When you're finished with it, return it to me anytime. Please, please don't try to re-use it. It is very delicate and is easily disturbed._

_Let me know if you need any other help._

_XX,_

_Abigail._

I groaned and stalked off the field, Emmet close behind.

"What'd it say?" He asked, popping his head over my shoulder.

"It's a quill. She gave me her notes for a class we have together." I tried not to sound disappointed.

"Oh," Emmet muttered, shaking his head. "You thought it would be a proclamation of her undying and unquenchable love for you. How upsetting."

He was mocking me, but at that point I didn't care. I had clearly lost her good graces when I had acted like a baby.

"No, I didn't." I muttered defensively as I shoved her letter into my pocket. "Now shove off. I have to get cleaned up before I can show up at dinner, and we're close, but not that close."

Emmet laughed as he tried to jokingly kiss my cheek. "Alright, Loverboy. I'll see you at dinner." He walked left, down a corridor, and I kept right, walking into the locker room.

It would have been so much easier if she would have just admitted she was in love with me. Was that really so hard?


	3. I Know

**First chapter from Abigail's POV. Such fun. Sorry this isn't very good. But, um, thanks for reading? Comment maybe?**

I stomped my way back to the Hufflepuff common room, not stopping as I passed a friendly looking group of Ravenclaws and Griffindors. I recognized a few on them, most notably Hermione Granger. Honestly, I just didn't want to spare the time.

I felt a pang of guilt tear through me. I shouldn't just ignore them. Someone had called out as I passed, but I had dismissed them with a wave. Rude and sullen. Shameful.

I spun on my heel and laughed out a greeting, walking backwards down the hall. There were nods of understanding and one look of spite from a third year Ravenclaw, Helen Hummler. I bit my tongue and kept walking.

Once the laughed had faded out, I was left alone to think. I resisted the urge to stomp my foot on the floor and scream.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid._ I chided. I just can't stand that Slytherin, Ferris. Who did he think he was? I was being _nice_, trying to help him up. I even gave him that quill. I was nothing but considerate and-

Just as quickly as my temper had flared, it sputtered out. I didn't, technically, do anything wrong. Ferris had fallen, and Emmet and myself had rushed to help. I should have taken a cue from Emmet and hung back. Emmet had known Ferris for much longer than I had. I hadn't, if at all, spoken with him in the past few weeks. He was the boy I had secretly cared for. I ignored him. It worked, kind of.

I pressed the palm of my hands to my eyes, happy I had forgotten, yet again, to put on my mascara. I was wrong, which meant an apology. Which meant talking. Which meant people. Crap.

I eyed Ferris from across the room. I was sandwiched between two of my quidditch team members. Kellen Quilds sat to my left, his height equal mine. To my right was Cedric Diggory, taller than me, though not by much, I had always considered him a bit of a knight in shinning armor.

My first year at Hogwarts, during my first month if I remember correctly, I had been cornered by a small group of Slytherin third years. They had managed, somehow, to catch hold of my cat, Smithers. If I had been better with my wand at that age, I would have hexed them into the next century, but I was too little to know much.

Anyways, it was Cedric who found us. He pulled out his wand, in spite of him being only a year older than myself, and turned the first boy he encountered a bright, garish purple. From the look on Cedric's face, that had not been his intention. Never the less, it was affective. The four boys who had had me cornered took off in a rush.

We had been close ever since.

"Something on your mind?" He asked, pouring gravy over his entire plate of food.

"What? Oh, um, no. I'm just, um… thinking. Yes, thinking." I sputtered, grabbing clumsily for the gravy boat, and dumping so much on my plate it seeped over the sides. Cedric just smiled and quickly pulled out his wand, whisking away the mess I had made. After so many years together, he knew me all too well.

"You often stare murderously at Slytherins when you're thinking? Hm, never was aware of that habit before. I'll add it to the list."

I reached out and smacked his arm. He just smiled at me teasingly and went back to his plate of food. I tried to do the same, but the guilty lump in my stomach was making it more and more apparent that I would either have to talk with Ferris or never eat properly again.

"I'll be right back." I said to Cedric, resting my right hand on his shoulder.

He pulled my fingers into his, his wide eyes looking up at me.

"Don't do anything stupid. Emmet told me about what happened. Youd don't owe anyone anything." Cedric let go of my hand, turning once again to his plate.

I slowly but surely made my way to the Slytherin table, using every excuse I could think of the stop and talk with the other students.

Eventually, though, the room came to an end and I was standing directly at the head of the emerald-cloth draped table. Clasping my hands tightly behind me, I walked quickly up to Ferris. He seemed surprised, his gray eyes darkening as I asked him to join me in the corridor outside. There were sniggers from some of his housemates, one of which had harassed me and my housemates through out my first year.

"Andrew." I said politely, referring to the ashy haired boy a few seats away from Ferris. "Must we go through this again? I mean, we can, I'm surely up for another astonishing victory, but I'm unsure if your pride can really handle another loss."

Half of the Slytherin table turned to me. It was common knowledge to them that a Hufflepuff had beaten Andrew badly the year prior, but it was all but ignored. If they pretended it didn't happen, no one could bring it up again. Cowards.

Andrew went crimson and turned back to his plate of food.

A little blond girl seated across from Ferris looked up at me, her bright eyes shinning with curiosity. She looked from me to Ferris, who stood behind me, blushing.

I turned form the table, and Ferris followed me as I briskly left the Great Hall.

After slipping out of one of the smaller access doors along the length of the Hall, I turned to face Farris.

Before I could utter a word, he started speaking, all in a rush.

"What happened between you and Andrew, I mean, I know he's bit of a git sometimes, but honestly. And was it really necessary to behave like that in front of my whole house? Do you know how much I'll have to endure now, because of you?" His eyes flashed, even in the dim light of the small corridor.

Any remorse I had felt was gone as quickly as he could bat his too-long eye lashes. If he truly thought he was going to keep me from standing up for myself and my housemates just because he _sort of_ liked the boy, no _child_, I had reprimanded, he had another thing coming. He didn't even know me. I gave him notes for classes and saw him occasionally in the library.

"Because of me!" I shouted, "Because of _him_ I had to endure a year of absolute hell. He hated me, and my housemates. Do you realize how miserable it is to be viewed as _weak, and pathetic, and, and, and useless?! _Hufflepuffs put up with enough as is. So make up your mind. Are you going to keep being an arse, or are you going to act like the boy I met my third year here at Hogwarts?"

His face paled.

"And _yes_!" I yelled again, my voice gaining volume, "I remember that. You found my cat. Granted, you found him because you took him in the first place, but I _forgave_ you for that. At least you had the decency to return him! Cedric was right, I should have just smacked you and got this all over and done with so I didn't have to deal with such blatant self absorbency and underhanded behavior! I was going to say I was sorry for offending you today, but now, now I hope you die _bitter and alone and very, very regretful and offended._ You bitter, stupid, bitter, bitter….Ugh!"

I gave up. Ferris look more stunned than upset. Like he had just seen a kitten attack a lamp post. Silly and slightly amusing, but also a little sad and confused. It took him a moment to notice I had leaned against the wall and was slowly letting myself slid to the floor. I had my hand wrapped up in my robes and pressed to my mouth. There were tears in my eyes that threatened to spill.

"I…I, um." Ferris reached up and carded his hand through his hair, causing the dark chocolate tufts to stand on end. He sputtered like that for another minute before he seemed to give up too. He flopped on the floor next to me, his head resting lazily on the wall.

He kept his composure better than I had. His eyes were dry, if a little wide in the low light. His face had regained its color, and his mouth was set in a hard line.

"I'm sorry," I said, my voice thick. My tongue felt ten times heavier than it had when I was shouting. I had a theory when I was small that every unkind word you said stuck to your mouth like glue. If you said too many, you wouldn't be able to say anything at all. How many words had I just cut from my life time? "I shouldn't have said those things."

I looked down at my toes, covered by my shinny school shoes. My cheeks flushed in shame. The guilty knot in my stomach that had disappeared during my fit was returning, making it hard to breathe.

"Yes, you should have. You had every right to. I, I…um." Ferris hissed through his gritted teeth.

Instead of making him say it, I grabbed his hand in mine.

"I know." I said.

We sat here in the glow from the scarce candles, our words floating around us. I couldn't bring myself to look up at him, but I couldn't let go of his hand, either.


End file.
